


Groom for Sale

by Ryu_Reikai_Akuma



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Babylonian Marriage Market, Auction, Fire, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Making Love, Marriage of Convenience, Middle Earth, No Incest, Older Man/Younger Man, People Being Treated Like Goods, Wedding Night, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-18
Updated: 2017-08-18
Packaged: 2018-12-16 19:00:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11835012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ryu_Reikai_Akuma/pseuds/Ryu_Reikai_Akuma
Summary: After a tragic fire left him orphaned and homeless, Kili turned to his last hope: the Marriage Market. Won by Thorin, a blacksmith with a stubborn streak and a violent past, Kili was then resigned to a life of unhappiness and hardship. But, Thorin was quite a bit more than what he seemed to be.





	Groom for Sale

**Author's Note:**

> What have I told you about writing AUs? *narrows eyes at own reflection*. Based on my [AU Babylonian Marriage Market ideas](http://demonessryu.tumblr.com/post/160806100894/ancient-babylonian-bride-market-has-so-much-au-fic). Feel free to use and expand them. Thanks to people I’ve bugged to explain the concept of [Dutch auction](http://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/dutchauction.asp) (lowest bidder instead of highest bidder wins) to me: she-who-must-not-be-named and she-who-probably-doesn't-want-to-be-associated-with-my-fics. Also, while this fic uses the concept of Babylonian marriage market (auction is more accurate but that's what they call it), it’s still set in Middle Earth because I'm interested in the concept of marriage market but I can't even convince myself that Kili and Thorin are Babylonian names.

This was his only option. It had come too soon, earlier than he had expected. Kili wished he could delay this by a few years to allow himself to grow, to make himself useful and worthy, but the opportunity was snatched away from him by fire. If he wanted to survive, he had to do this now somehow – he must find himself a husband.

His borrowed clothes were ill-fitted for his slim body and his hair was braided with dull old beads that he managed to salvage from the rubbles of his house. Even after scrubbing himself thoroughly in the river, Kili knew he wouldn’t get a high bid that day. There were usually many who were eager for husbands, a rarity among the dozens of female dwarfs in search of spouses, but no one would be desperate enough to go after a poor orphan who barely looked like a proper dwarf. Nevertheless, Kili walked into the marriage market with his head held high. He might not have wealth or powerful relation, and his appearance might be rather poor compared to most, but he would show them that he had the pride and courage of the dwarf race.

The marriage market was bustling as always. The seats around a stage were filled with bidders talking among themselves as they inspected the dwarfs to be bid on, excited for the prospect of returning home with wives and husbands. The wealthiest dwarfs sat at the front, waiting patiently for the auction to begin. They were calm and quiet, confident that they could procure the dwarfs they wanted or at least one of the best potential spouses the market had. The less wealthy bidders sat behind them, discussing how much they were willing to pay for a spouse. While they would receive dowries from their spouses, they didn’t have unlimited fund to invest with and marriage was treated not too differently from business, with a hope that it would benefit them in the future. In the back of the room, sat the poor. These dwarfs were silent, but not due to confidence. They knew they would have to settle for the undesirable. They sought not spouses to love and spoil, but those they could share their life difficulties with. It was to this last group of dwarfs that Kili knew he would be sold to even before he set foot onto the market.

The dwarfs to be auctioned off sat on the floor around the stage. A small group of lads sat together, looking quite happy and confident with their prospects. While those of the same sex were allowed to marry, there was great pressure for the males to continue their lines. Thus, it was rare for same sex marriage to happen and rarer still for male dwarfs to join marriage market not as bidders but potential spouses to be bid for. They were therefore in high demands and they knew it. Even if they would be an addition to a household that already contained a wife, their prospect was still bright. They knew they would leave the market with wealthy and powerful husbands, a future of happiness and luxury before them.

Before this week, Kili would be among them. He wasn’t the most handsome dwarf, but he came from a good family. His prospect, while not the best, hadn’t been bleak. Perhaps he could have married a tradesman or a scholar with a nice house in a good neighborhood and a kind respectable family who would happily welcome Kili as both a prized son in law and a helping hand. However, with nothing remaining to his house but ashes and blackened logs and stones, dead parents and no other relative besides to support him, and little to no possessions, his value was greatly reduced. Kili sat, instead, among the dull-eyed lasses too poor to give decent amount of dowry, too unattractive to draw attention to themselves, too old for the expectations and obligations that came with marriage, or lacking in one way or another. No one would bid on them. Instead, the market would pay people to marry them. For them, marriage would be a product of pity or desperation and the futures before them was of hard work and suffering. Happiness would rarely be with them. Kili reminded himself that he needed roof over his head to survive as to not discouraged by this.

Finally, the auctioneer approached the stage. Dori paused when he saw Kili. He had been the one who suggested the marriage market to Kili in the first place when he learnt about the sad fate that had befallen him. Kili was young and lacking in skill, not likely to survive life on the street or solitary travel in search of better life. Had he remained alone, it would have been only a matter of time before he fell to the dark side of the society, his freedom and honor forsaken for an illusion of life. Fortunately, the annual marriage market was to be held shortly in Ered Luin. Dori had lent Kili his brother’s clothes and promised to find him a good husband and a comfortable home, although they both knew how unlikely that was to happen. However, nothing else could be done with his situation in life, his poor prospect and undesirable qualities. Kili agreed to Dori’s proposal. He had his dreams and plans, but he wasn’t so foolish as to continue to pursue them without regard of his survival.

The crowd cheered when Dori finally appeared on the stage. He explained the rules of the market briefly, as everyone was already familiar with it and some had even gone to the market multiple times. Before long, Dori called the first dwarf to the stage. A beautiful lass from a respectable family in Ered Luin stood up and joined him. She smiled widely as Dori listed her qualities – her beauty, her connection, her family’s wealth – to the enraptured bidders. No one was surprised when he set the starting price at fifty gold coins, an amount swiftly and enthusiastically outbid. The bidders fiercely competed with each other to procure her as a wife, shouting over each other the gold coins they would give to have her. The price rose and rose until finally no one offered a higher price and the lass happily went to a lucky dwarf, who bought her with one hundred and fifty gold coins, a hefty price for a prize of a bride. There was quiet grumbling of disappointed bidders, but they were soon distracted when Dori called the next dwarf, and the process started all over again.

Kili closed his eyes as one by one the dwarfs around the stage were called. As predicted, the richest and most beautiful lads were sold at incredible prices, being the rare commodities that they were. Kili tried to take heart in this, but he knew better. No sensible dwarf would put mere novelty and pleasure over abysmal prospect. There was nothing to be gained from marrying him – his ability to warm the bed and help the household would grow old and then he would have nothing of value to offer. His only skill – if it could be called a skill at all – was helping in his parents’ food stall, a small business at the edge of Ered Luin that poor travellers and neighbors occasionally came to. He had been to learn to help in the kitchen this year, but it had burnt down, taking Kili’s family and possessions with it, leaving him with little value. Were he a lass, he would be able to provide heirs, a sure way to secure his position in the family and society. But, he was not. His youth and his novelty were his only strengths; his future could only be secured by affection, a fickle thing to count on. His mother had told him that with his smile, he could charm anyone he wanted, but Kili wasn’t sure there would be anyone to charm at all.

When over half of the dwarfs behind the stage were gone, the mood of the auction changed. The crowd became quiet, knowing that only the unwanted were left to bid on. Those who had found new spouses were gone to prepare their weddings. The dwarfs that remained stayed for two reasons only: desperation and amusement. Dori was an expert auctioneer, but even he couldn’t lift the somber mood to match the start of the auction. He soon called a name and a wary dame perhaps a decade older than Kili stood up and slowly walked to the stage. The crowd was silent when Dori informed them that her parents were poor miners and she was a tad past her prime, although still capable of bearing and rearing children. This time, instead of setting a price for the bidders to pay to marry the dame, Dori collected bids written in small pieces of paper from interested dwarfs. Once all the bids were collected, he inspected the offers. The dwarf who asked for the smallest amount of money, thirty silver coins, was declared the winner. The crowd murmured quietly as she joined her winner. Kili chanced a glance at her. She looked relieved but resigned at the same time, understanding her future was likely to be the opposite of the futures of the dwarfs sold earlier in the auction. Kili looked away from the sight, not wanting to be discouraged from his only chance to survive.

One by one, the dwarfs left around the stage were sold. The prices were getting lower as the dwarfs called forward were getting less and less desirable. When but a handful of people left, Kili was finally called. He climbed onto the stage and stood beside Dori quietly, assessing the faces of the audience left. He knew well the excitement that usually overcame the bidders when a male dwarf was presented to be auctioned off, but that excitement was nowhere to be found now. What greeted Kili’s eyes were disapproving frowns and lips curled in distaste. The clothes he borrowed belonged to Dori’s youngest and smallest brother, but it couldn’t hide the fact that he barely filled the outfit and there was no helping his lack of beard. Kili was used to this reaction, but this time the rejection cut deeper. Standing on the stage of the marriage market as one of the remaining few, wearing old beads, clothes that weren’t his own, and no relatives to promise connection, it was never more clear to him how he was unwanted.

Dori gave Kili and encouraging nod before addressing the crowd. “This is Kili. He is a little young, only seventy five. He is the second son of Vilir – some of you might have been familiar with his food stall at the edge of the town – who perished recently. Kili is a good lad, kind and hardworking! And don’t underestimate him; he is quite strong! He might be lacking in skills and experience, but his young age makes him easy to teach! Now, let’s collect the bids.”

Kili looked at each of the dozen of dwarfs who handed their bids to Dori. Some of them were familiar, others not. A few were only a year or two older than him while the rest were perhaps twice his age. Different though they were from each other, they were unified by interest to procure a helper. The marriage market never failed to find a groom for every auctioned dwarf, but it couldn’t guarantee a happy life. Dori had promised him a good husband with a comfortable home, but Kili knew he should be grateful to have even the most tattered roof over his head and some simple food on the table in return of his works and services. And after all, what was marriage if not a business transaction? Even those who were sold at high prices were expected to serve their new families by producing heirs or increasing wealth or both. What Kili’s life would be wouldn’t be so different from theirs just because his services were more laborious. In the end, he supposed everyone had to work in one way or another to survive.

Despite this gloomy thought, however, Kili couldn’t help but hope. Perhaps if he was lucky he would find himself with someone of similar age who needed as much experience as him. Indeed, a married life with a dwarf at that age would be difficult for a good while, but Kili would have someone to learn and grow with. That way he wouldn’t be a burden, but an equal, and wasn’t that a pleasant thought! Kili knew very little about married life, but he knew that to be married to one’s own friend was the greatest fate anyone could ask for. To be bound not only by laws and necessities, but also genuine fondness was a fortune not everyone had. Kili wasn’t sure he could make anyone fall in love with him, but he knew how to make friends. To be a good friend of his husband, to have a company if a lover was not possible, would make this life bearable.

Finally, all bids had been collected. Dori inspected the pieces of papers to determine a winner. Kili watched him closely, heart pounding in his chest as his future was made before him. He frowned, however, when Dori sent him an uncertain look. Kili wondered miserably if he was asked for free. It would be against the regulations, but considering his situations, he thought it wouldn’t be an entirely unreasonable demand.

“Sold, for thirteen silver coins,” Dori announced with none of the triumphant note he used when he announced the sale of the previous dwarfs.

The crowd started to murmur loudly among themselves. Thirteen was an unlucky number that dwarfs feared and tried to avoid. Kili looked around, wondering who had bid him for thirteen coins. He looked at his young bidders, hoping that one of them had been the one to foolishly bid him at the unlucky price. However, this hope diminished when he noticed that they looked similarly nervous and confused.

“Kili,” Dori called him quietly. Pity marred his handsome face as Kili slowly made his way to him. “I’m sorry, lad,” he whispered as he gave Kili the thirteen silver coins the bidder earned as a compensation for taking in Kili as a burden. “I wish you all the best of lucks. Now, go to your husband.”

Kili nodded and turned toward the crowd. People shook their heads at him and even averted their eyes, perhaps fearing that Kili’s misfortune would reach them. He clenched his jaw and ignored them, looking instead for the dwarf who had bid him. His heart sank a little when a dwarf older than his parents approached him. Kili didn’t recognize him. He was tall and muscular, worrying features when combined with his hard expression. His appearance indicated a life of hardship, of physical labor heavier than what Kili was used to. As the dwarf walked through the parting audience toward him, Kili noticed him favoring his right leg. The cause of the limp was hinted by a deep cut partially hidden beneath the dwarf’s tunic, a scar unmistakably caused by weapon. Kili’s heart beat faster when a large hand was offered to him. He should have known better than to entertain a dream of a good life.

“Come,” the dwarf ordered, his deep voice broking no argument. Kili was hard-pressed not to let his hand trembled when he gave it to the dwarf.

The dwarf led him to a burly warrior waiting at the back of the room. If possible, this dwarf was more frightening. His exposed skin was covered in scars and tattoos. Weapons were strapped all over him and he was carrying a war hammer on top of it all. Kili almost withered when he looked at him critically, but he didn’t want to be thought a coward. He was poor, unskilled, and an orphan, but he was a dwarf still. As many had done before him, he would face his fears unflinching, even if one of the fears was of his own future husband. Kili tried to ignore the calluses of the dwarf’s palm and studiously refused to think of the tales of the difficult personality and short temper of the warrior kind. If he was to bear pain as well as hard labor, then so be it. He would at least be alive and not fallen completely out of favor from the society.

“Thirteen coins?” the warrior asked disapprovingly.

Kili’s bidder gave him a cold look. “We make our own luck.”

The reply didn’t put Kili at ease, instead illustrating a stubborn character that didn’t like to be challenged. Kili wondered how many bruises he would sustain before he learnt to be silent, how much he would bleed before he remembered to bite his tongue. He had seen poor dwarfs who lowered their eyes when talked to and covered their bodies even at the peak of summer. He knew what they hid. It was a fate no one wished for but some unlucky ones had. In some cases, these dwarfs returned to their families for protection, but there was no one Kili could run to. There was nowhere else he could be but the home the dwarf would give him.

The warrior rolled his eyes. “Should we go to the lad’s family, then?” he asked impatiently.

“My parents are dead,” Kili spoke for the first time. He swallowed thickly when he remembered finding them and Fili, charred almost beyond recognition. “There was a fire in our stall a week ago. They died along with my brother.”

Kili’s bidder frowned. “Is there anyone whom I can ask for permission to marry you?”

Kili shook his head. “I’m all alone.”

The dwarfs looked at him in silence for a while, judging his value. Perhaps it was not wrong to bid thirteen coins, for Kili was indeed worth it for the misfortune he carried with him. He almost thought his bidder would change his mind – Kili wouldn’t be the first dwarf returned to the market – but he merely nodded decisively.

“Let’s see the judge.”

Kili was speechless as he was pulled away from the market. So he was to marry after all? The dwarf still wanted him regardless of his situation? It seemed unreal to him, but the grip on his hand was firm and strong, unquestionably real. Kili made himself slow down to match the dwarf’s pace. His long legs made up for his reduced speed, but he was still slower than his friend and even Kili if Kili walked briskly. Kili studied his distinguished profile for a moment and steeled himself. The dwarf wasn’t an ideal husband, but neither was he. If he would still marry Kili regardless of his lack of prospect, then Kili would devote himself to him. No matter what hardship was awaiting him, he vowed to remain for as long as the dwarf wanted him.

“I don’t know your name yet,” Kili reminded the dwarf as they made their way to the judge’s office.

The dwarf seemed mildly surprised by this. In front of them, the warrior snorted in amusement. “Thorin.” He paused. “I’m a blacksmith,” he offered, as if unsure what Kili needed to know and would want to know about him. “I live near the river in the east.”

A blacksmith! It was an occupation in high demand, assuring steady income even if it wasn’t much. The east of the Ered Luin was known to be home for the poor, but it didn’t matter as long as he had a home – after all, Kili hadn’t expected wealth, either. Kili smiled widely before remembering that he hadn’t yet known the dwarf- _Thorin_ ’s temper. It was best not to test him, especially since nothing was secured yet. “When do you plan on marrying me?” he asked, hoping he didn’t anger Thorin with the urgent question.

“I don’t know yet,” Thorin replied brusquely.

Kili was quiet for a moment, gauging Thorin’s mood. His intense look and cold tone strongly indicated impatience, warning Kili to be careful. However, he believed Thorin must understand the extent of his misfortune, so that Kili wouldn’t be accused of lying later. Kili took a deep breath before he spoke. “I don’t have anywhere to be. I’ve been staying in the auctioneer’s house for the past few days, but I shouldn’t stay there too long,” Kili said honestly.

Thorin looked at him in vague surprise. There was no sign of violence that Kili had feared. Perhaps it was only Kili’s hopefulness, but he thought Thorin’s hand tightened around his for one quick second. “Then we’ll marry today,” Thorin decided.

Kili’s eyes widened in surprise. Before he could utter a word of protest, however, Thorin had tugged his hand to urge him to walk faster. The unmistakable expression of determination Thorin had on his face discouraged him from speaking up. He saw that Thorin’s mind was made and from what Kili had seen of him, it was best not to challenge him. The dread he had felt when he first saw Thorin resurfaced, wondering what kind of married life he would have. Thorin probably expected absolute submission and unquestioning obedience that Kili didn’t have by design. Perhaps he chose Kili because he was young and malleable, because he could be made to conform to what he wanted. It was a bleak thought, to think that he was wanted only because of what Thorin wanted him to be instead of who he was. But what else could he do?

The judge made a marriage contract quickly and then before him Thorin and Kili exchanged betrothal gift and dowry. They both had little to their names, so Thorin only gift for Kili were an old silver ring he pulled off from his thick finger and one of the silver beads he wore, while Kili’s dowry was the thirteen coins given by the marriage market. He ignored the pitying look sent by the judge as he and Thorin signed the contract, knowing that it was a reaction he would receive often from now on. And indeed they received more of it when they went to a small tavern near Thorin’s house to celebrate their wedding. Thorin’s warrior friend, Dwalin, arranged it with surprising swiftness, inviting Thorin’s friends and some neighbors. Each guest arrived with a sympathetic look, no doubt having heard of Kili’s circumstances. They congratulated him and Thorin politely and drank to their marriage, but Kili wondered how many of them had faith in Kili’s new life with Thorin. For indeed the dwarf race was a superstitious race and after a few tankards of ale, Dwalin revealed to him that some that he invited had declined to come.

In fact, Kili couldn’t be sure Thorin wanted to be there at all. He was quiet by Kili’s side, drinking quietly and letting everyone speak and sing. Was he regretting marrying Kili? Perhaps he was. After all, it had barely been a day and Kili had already made him spent his precious belonging for a small feast. True, it was only a small feast, nothing to be compared with the wedding feasts commonly held by wealthier people. However, Kili had seen how little he had – his silver ring was heavy on Kili’s finger and his bead cold on the nape of his neck. The thirteen silver coins he received as a dowry were likely used up for this feast. Guilt started to sink into Kili. This was his only option, but he never meant to be such a burden. He might not know Thorin all that well and his initial impression of Thorin might not be entirely assuring, but Kili genuinely didn’t want him to be troubled. Kili wanted to apologize or perhaps comfort Thorin, but the way he looked at the distance in silence prevented him from it. Again, Kili felt unwanted. He tried to make up for it by befriending the guests. They were kind to him and teased him about his quick wedding. Those who seemed closest to Thorin also jokingly warned him about his mulish attitude and infamous impatience. Kili laughingly claimed that he was prepared for anything but Thorin’s continuous silence by his side didn’t improve his confidence.

The feast ended just before sundown. How quickly Kili’s life changed! Just this morning, he had woken on the floor in the auctioneer’s house and at the end of the day Kili had found himself with a husband and a home, although he had yet to see it. The guests left while congratulating them once again. Kili felt he had started to find a place among them, but that still remained to be seen. Dwalin left after patting Kili’s shoulder heavily and nodding to Thorin with a pointed look. Perhaps Kili had himself some allies, but he dared not hope too much. It was inappropriate, after all, to expose one’s marital problems to others.

Quietly, Kili followed Thorin to a small house. It was old and in a rather dire need of maintenance, but at least it provided protection from nature. Inside, it was warm and surprisingly well-cared for. There were only a few old furniture and a small kitchen hidden at the back, the house clearly meant to only accommodate one person. On a wall, displayed with pride, were a sword and a shield, the only decorations the house had. Kili looked at them for a while, wondering how long ago they were last used and what else remained from Thorin’s days of battle.

Unsure of what to do, Kili waited for Thorin’s instruction, but Thorin ignored him to light a fire in the hearth. Wanting to make himself useful, Kili looked for candles. He froze, however, when he spotted a thin bed on the corner. He wasn’t scared. He knew what was to come was a natural part of life. He understood that by putting himself in the marriage market, he had agreed to put himself in the role of a dame. He had been sufficiently informed of the possible discomfort and how to prepare himself. But, he was still hesitant. At no point had Thorin indicated that he wanted him. He had been distant and even cold, perhaps even regretting his decision. Kili desperately needed a way to survive and this was the final part that would make them truly married and guarantee Kili’s future, but it didn’t feel right to share a bed with Thorin if he didn’t want him. Marriage might be a business transaction, but a transaction where one party was unwilling was neither fair nor acceptable.

The house was bathed in orange glow as the hearth slowly spread warmth around the space. Kili turned around to see Thorin looking at him with an unreadable expression. He must have seen Kili looking at the bed, yet he made no move. Of course Kili hadn’t expected him to simply push him to the bed, but his lack of reaction was discouraging. When seconds passed and still Thorin merely stood in silence, Kili’s heart sank. He should have known better than to think that everything would from now on be fine. But, fortunately, it wasn’t yet entirely too late. Kili forced a smile to his face, hoping that it would make this easier somehow.

“If you want to tell me that you no longer want this, you can tell me now.” Kili shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “I know my situation is far from ideal.”

Thorin frowned. “And mine is?”

Kili looked around him at a house that could be his new home, a life that could be his new one. “No one wants an orphan without a single coin to his name. No one deserves such a burden.”

Something stirred in Thorin’s calm countenance. He approached Kili slowly. He probably didn’t mean to menace him, but still Kili was aware of how he could do some harm. Kili wasn’t weak, but he was no match for a former warrior. Still, he forced himself to remain calm. If Thorin was frustrated, then Kili was entirely to blame. He would not protest. Hadn’t he vowed that to himself? Hadn’t he promised to accept whatever Thorin gave him in silence? Even if this marriage came to an abrupt end, Kili would still fulfill that promise while it still lasted. It was the least that he could do for the trouble he had caused.

Thorin was only slightly taller than Kili, but the small advantage in height still intimidated Kili. He looked at Kili closely. With his back toward the hearth, it was difficult to read his expression.

“Do you not remember me?”

Kili blinked at the unexpected question. He raked his memory to try to place Thorin. Kili would certainly remember someone whose appearance was as striking as him, but he couldn’t. “No,” he admitted.

Thorin took a deep breath. “I arrived in this town three years ago, a crippled old warrior at the brink of starvation. I only had my sword and my shield with me, but my pride and my memory wouldn’t allow me to sell them. I couldn’t afford food and was resigned to die on the street.” He looked at Kili and even in darkness Kili could sense the intensity of his gaze and the weight of the story he shared. “Then, you came to me with a loaf of bread. I tried to refuse, but you would have none of it. You kept coming for days with breads, fruits, and vegetables. I assumed they were food remnants, but I heard your mother worrying over your health and I realized you gave me your share of food. Your family didn’t have much. Yet, you still shared some food with me until I recovered.”

The memory was hazy, but now Kili remembered him. He remembered a thin warrior he found under a tree, weakened by hunger and past injuries. He hadn’t thought twice when he shared his meal with him. His family had been struggling, so he couldn’t take food from their stall, but he could give the food on his plate. Kili looked at Thorin in wonder. He had been worried when the warrior disappeared. It had never occurred to him that he might be settling in Ered Luin. “So it was you.”

Thorin nodded, smiling thinly. “I’ve sworn that I would somehow repay your kindness, but it isn’t easy to start life anew. It appears that I found you again too late.”

“I never expect anything from you. I just wanted to help. I’m glad that you’re fine, but I can’t force you to take me in as a burden just because I gave you some food years ago.”

“You are not a burden,” Thorin asserted firmly. “I don’t have much, I can’t yet provide the life I wish to give you, but I will share with you everything I have. All that I own will be yours, too, and I will do everything in my power to not leave you in need for anything. If you would have me, I will provide for you as you once gave me life.”

Kili looked at Thorin in amazement. His hope began to rise again. Could there be happiness for him? “But what can I give in return? I have nothing. These clothes aren’t even mine.”

“I’d be very happy if you’d make this house a home,” Thorin said softly. “A life companion. That is all I want.”

The request was surprising in both its simplicity and meaningfulness. Kili found himself flabbergasted and a little embarrassed, unused to such treatment. “Why would you want that from a stranger?”

“You’re not a stranger. I know your past and your present situation. I know that you’re kind and that you make me laugh.”

“I make you laugh? You’ve barely looked at me!” Kili exclaimed incredulously.

Thorin’s cleared his throat and looked away, an endearing sight that showed that he might not be as hardened as his exterior made him out to be. “There are things I have yet to learn, but what I’ve seen assure me that you’re the companion I want. If you’re willing, of course.”

A genuine smile, the first in the past week, spread on Kili’s lips. “I think I can be that for you!” he said, laughing in relief and joy.

Thorin smiled warmly and Kili wondered why he ever thought that he was dangerous for even one moment. How kind his eyes were and his grip was gentle instead of painful when he held Kili’s hand. Thorin took a step forward, leaving but a scant inch between them. Once intimidated, Kili now felt safe. He tilted his head to the side when Thorin pushed his hair back so he could touch the small braid at the nape of Kili’s neck. The touch felt foreign but intimate. Kili closed his eyes as Thorin’s breaths fanned over his skin. Earlier in the day, he would have expected Thorin to simply take him without regards for Kili’s pleasure or consent, but now he trusted Thorin to take care of him as he guided Kili in this new aspect of life. Kili shivered when Thorin caressed the side of his neck softly. His beard brushed Kili’s jaw, his breaths suddenly loud, as if he wished to follow the path of his fingers with his mouth. Desire began to simmer within Kili, slowly but surely, he began to want.

“If you don’t want this, tell me now,” Thorin whispered, a reminder of Kili’s earlier offer.

Kili laughed and took a step back. Smiling, he began to remove his clothes. He didn’t mean to tease, but the heated look Thorin gave him indicated that perhaps he had done that unconsciously. Then, Thorin, too, began to take off his clothes. Kili slowed, admiring each tantalizing patch of skin revealed to him. Thorin’s past was evidence in the scars lining his body and his toned muscles. Thick dark hair trailed down from his chest to thin around his abdomen and thicken again between his legs. Kili swallowed thickly when he saw Thorin’s half hard cock. His own cock twitched in interest as he wondered how it would feel to be completely filled. Kili turned away to fold his clothes carefully and put them away to be returned to Dori tomorrow, hiding his growing interest. He gasped quietly when suddenly Thorin wrapped his arms around him from behind him, his cock nudging the cleft between Kili’s cheeks. Shamelessly, Kili spread his legs, allowing the flared tip of Thorin’s cock to brush against his untouched entrance.

“How do you want me?” Kili whispered breathlessly as Thorin ran his hands up and down his torso.

Thorin kissed his ear as one of his hands lowered until it reached Kili’s cock. His thick fingers wrapped around Kili to slowly stroke him to full hardness. It was new, being touched by someone else this way, but Kili couldn’t say he hated it. He rocked forward into the sheath of Thorin’s hand and backward onto his thickening cock. They didn’t rush, stroking and rocking languidly. Kili tipped his head back to rest it against Thorin’s shoulder and gripped his thick arms. He gasped whenever the head of Thorin’s cock kissed his furled entrance and mewled when Thorin stroked him from root to tip. In Thorin’s expert hand, he came to full stand, weeping clear liquid. He moaned loudly when Thorin’s callused thumb teased the sensitive tip, bringing even more pre-spend to the surface. His legs shook slightly as his pleasure heightened, centering on his throbbing cock.

“I want you in my bed,” Thorin said hoarsely.

Kili obliged eagerly. The bed creaked under his weight but he didn’t heed it as he laid waiting for Thorin. His cock ached and dripped between his legs, already missing Thorin’s touch. Nights of bringing himself pleasure didn’t come close to this, to the way he felt when Thorin touched his skin and when Thorin looked at him. Perhaps he should feel self-conscious as he knew he wasn’t handsome, but he felt oddly calm, somehow confident that Thorin would accept him the way he was. Licking his lips, Kili spread his legs to display his flushed cock amidst dark hair and the tight entrance the tip of Thorin’s cock had kissed repeatedly just now. He breathed slowly as the fire cast light over him, showcasing him for Thorin. At the foot of the bed, Thorin stroked his ankle gently while drinking in the sight of him. Kili couldn’t see much of Thorin – a pity as he had enjoyed the view he had seen earlier – but he could hear his heavy breathing and feel the heat of his gaze traveling over his torso toward his dripping hardness to finally rest on his clenching hole. Kili was all eagerness when Thorin knelt between his spread legs, but he was quickly distracted by Thorin’s wince.

He immediately sat up and reached for Thorin’s right leg. “Are you all right?”

Thorin nodded, gently removing Kili’s hand. “It’s just an old wound. I can’t stand too long.” He carefully pushed Kili back onto the bed, his touch lingering on his heaving chest. “Don’t worry.”

There were many things Kili should learn about his new husband, such as why Thorin sounded so aggrieved when he mentioned his wound. Later, he would ask and he would find out how to relieve him of some of that sadness for he began to think he couldn’t bear to see Thorin upset. However, now Kili caressed Thorin’s cheek and waited as Thorin made himself comfortable above him. It was a little unnatural to spread his legs so widely, but Thorin’s weight on him was comfortable and the feeling of their bare bodies pressed together made passion burn bright in his veins. Kili put his hands on Thorin’s shoulders and rocked his hips, sliding his cock on Thorin’s firm abdomen and leaving a sticky trail there. It wasn’t quite what it had been like when Thorin stroked him, but the friction still teased Kili enough to make him undulate his hips hungrily, Thorin’s hard cock brushing against his with every pass. Heat grew between them when Thorin began to tenderly mouth his neck and chest. His lips were soft, his mouth hot, and his tongue delightfully slick. With every soft nip and pass of lips over Kili’s skin, he made Kili rock his hips more eagerly, pushing up harder to get some pressure on his sensitive cock. Kili sighed and threw his head back, revealing the column of his neck for Thorin to mark.

But Thorin didn’t mark him. He rained open mouthed kisses on each patch of skin he could reach and swept his tongue over Kili at unpredictable rate, making him whine and moan. He let Kili relieved some of the ache of his throbbing cock on his abdomen while his hands wandered up Kili’s side. Thorin paused when he found Kili’s nipples, tight despite having been neglected. With his thick thumbs, he circled the bud and then dropped a wet kiss on one of them, eliciting a shocked gasp from Kili, who until then had never touched his nipples unless cursorily. It tickled slightly due to Thorin’s beard, but it wasn’t exactly an unpleasant sensation. If anything, it was a sensation he would like to explore more, as indicated by the twitch of his cock where it’s caught between his and Thorin’s sweat-dampened bodies. He breathed heavily when Thorin looked up to see his reaction. Their gazes never broke as Thorin lowered his head again and slowly ran his tongue over the small bud.

Kili gasped and squirmed while Thorin thoroughly and torturously licked his nipple until Kili whimpered for mercy, before moving to the other one. All the while, he barely broke their eye contact even when he finally closed his lips over the bud, engulfing it in wet warmth, gently sucking it, and bathing it with his hungry tongue. Arching his back, Kili slid his fingers into Thorin’s thick hair to keep his head where it was. He moaned shamelessly when Thorin began to suck harder, the sharp pleasure making his cock bobbed and dripped onto his stomach. The moan grew louder when Thorin slipped a hand between them to stroke his erection steadily. From root to tip his rough hand glided. Every drop of early seed beading the tiny slit was quickly swept away by the thumb to be used to slick the hardness. Kili jerked his hips helplessly when Thorin twist his hand over the crown of his cock. A small amount of seed spurted out before he managed to stop himself, not wanting to come before Thorin was inside him.

It was difficult not to whine in protest when Thorin pulled away and let go of his cock. Kili frowned and pulled Thorin back to him. He didn’t expect Thorin to suddenly mesh their lips together, but he welcomed it all the same. Kili mimicked the way Thorin moved his lips and tilted his head to better slot them together. When Thorin lightly licked his bottom lip, he readily parted his lips, allowing Thorin to claim his mouth by running his clever tongue over Kili’s soft palate and coaxing Kili to do the same to him. It tickled, but so very intimate and passionate. Kili wrapped his arms around Thorin to keep him close while surrendering himself to Thorin. The thick muscles in Thorin’s back rippled when he moved to grind his cock on Kili’s lower abdomen. They both groaned into each other’s mouth as their erections pressed against each other. Moving as one, they rocked their hips and arched their backs in such ways that heightened the pleasure pooling in their groins. Every nudge of a wet tip against a hard column of flesh drew a groan and every desperate twitch made them press against each other more tightly. Their kiss was near frenzied now, all tangling tongues and muffled pleas and whimpers of names. Kili moaned into Thorin’s mouth as his hand slid up to the nape of Thorin’s neck to pull him deeper into the kiss. Release grew surely between, building up in Kili’s lower belly. He never wanted it to stop, wanting to kiss Thorin until their lips were raw, until the only taste he knew was Thorin, until he didn’t know where one of them ended and the other began, until he could think and felt nothing but Thorin all around him.

Thorin had another plan, however. He parted their lips reluctantly and kissed Kili’s jaw when he moaned in disappointment. “Just a moment, dearest,” he said breathily. Quickly, he reached between the bed and the wall and procured a small vial. “Yes?” he asked.

Kili looked at the vial as understanding dawned on his lust-addled brain. He was reminded to how Thorin’s cock had slid over his opening earlier, how the flared tip had caught on the furl. How would it feel, he wondered, to have Thorin so deep and thick inside him, claiming him and completing him at last. His hand clenched on Thorin’s back. “Yes,” he replied.

Thorin smiled widely. He then sat back on his heels with only the barest of wince. Thorin oiled his fingers thoroughly and urged Kili to plant his feet on the bed, exposing his entrance to him. It was a vaguely embarrassing position, but Kili couldn’t care less, especially as Thorin circled his tight opening with his thick finger. Kili writhed and pushed back, begging Thorin with his body, until Thorin finally caved in and carefully pushed his finger into him. The stretch was odd, but not painful or uncomfortable. Thorin rotated his finger and pushed it in and out slightly as he waited for Kili’s internal muscles to unclench. It took a while – Kili’s body not accustomed to penetration – but it gave him a taste of what it would be like. Eventually, Thorin’s knuckle pressed against Kili, the tip of his finger seemed to reach uncommonly deep inside him. Breath stuttered out of Kili as his internal muscles fluttered around the intrusion. He moaned when Thorin rotated the digit to thoroughly coat his insides with oil. The slick slide ignited a need foreign to him. Kili was suddenly aware of how empty he had been and how he longed to be filled by Thorin.

The preparation couldn’t be fast enough. Thorin used copious amount of oil and move his finger in and out until Kili became used to it. Tension seeped out of him as he learnt to find pleasure in being taken this way and he rocked back whenever Thorin pulled his finger out a little, hungry whenever he wasn’t completely filled. It seemed to take forever for one finger to turn into two. Now, Thorin could spread them to loosen Kili. It was strange to be stretched wide, but Kili took it as well as he could until that, too, became pleasurable. He parted his legs a little more to make space for the digits inside him. He ignored the lustful look Thorin gave him as he moved on the thick fingers, using them as he wanted Thorin’s cock to do to him soon.

When he was certain Kili was ready for it, Thorin slipped another finger. It stung, making Kili cry out. Quickly, Thorin added more oil to his fingers. It helped, but just barely. Kili clutched the sheet as he forced his body to relax but even when the finger was finally fully embedded in him, he was still uncomfortable. He clenched around them, his body refusing to let them move. Two fingers had been pleasurable, but three were too much. He was too full, his entrance stretching beyond normal around the digits and the pain started to dampen his lust. Realizing this, Thorin crooked his fingers. It took him only a few seconds to find something inside Kili that made him cry out in surprise, his cock jerking and weeping heavily onto his sticky stomach. Thorin’s fingers moved back and forth, caressing that spot with every slide, and pleasure crested inside Kili. Again, he rocked his hips onto Thorin’s fingers, seeking to be filled and stroked to completion. His stones felt tight, his cock hardening even further, early seed running down the veiny length of his erection. It was aching now and were he alone, he would take himself in hand to a mind-blowing release. But, he was determined to wait this time, wanting to feel the pleasure of being spitted on a cock, of finding release clenching on Thorin. Kili panted heavily, clutching thin bedding under him as he fought to contain the peak that was slowly cresting inside him.

Before Kili could come, Thorin pulled out his fingers. Kili’s whine was silenced when he saw Thorin slicking his thick cock. He licked his lips as he took in the arousing sight of Thorin’s rough hand sliding over the hard length, nervous but eager. Again, Thorin settled between his legs, this time with his cock pressing against Kili’s loosened entrance. He looked disheveled, a dark flush spreading from his face down to his chest, his lips parted to pant, and his eyes darkened by desire. He watched Kili carefully as he guided himself to Kili’s entrance and slowly pushed into him. There was slight resistance still, but with patience, the head of his cock was swallowed by Kili’s hole without pain. Thorin’s eyes flickered down to where their bodies joined, his unsteady hands lightly caressing the skin around the stretched ring. When he lifted his eyes to Kili’s face again, he looked almost completely lost in lust but he still took care not to hurt Kili as he pushed further into him. From there, it was relatively easy. His preparation and the oil eased the way for him, Kili’s slick passage opening around him with little more than insistent nudge of his cock. His girth stretched Kili even more and reached deeper inside him than his fingers had. It was a new feeling, his muscles clenching and unclenching sporadically around the significant intrusion, but being full (and filled by his husband!) was something Kili would never have enough of.

Kili bit his lip as he tried to adjust to the feeling of being spitted around someone’s cock. It was an overwhelming sensation. Nerves he hadn’t been aware of were now lit by Thorin’s unyielding presence inside him. The mysterious spot Thorin had showed him earlier now pressed against Thorin’s hardness, teasing Kili with frissons of heady pleasure. He tremblingly stroked Thorin’s strong arms on either side of him which kept him from squashing Kili. Seeing this as a sign of desire, Thorin slung Kili’s legs over his shoulders. This new position enabled him to push even deeper inside Kili, making him moan loudly as more pleasure assaulted him and he was claimed even more thoroughly. Kili gasped when Thorin was finally fully buried inside him, heavy balls pressing against him. Even as he was nearly bent into two, his cock continued to drip steadily. He never stopped wanting Thorin. In fact, he wanted him more now. Kili wanted to finally be claimed by Thorin’s seed deep inside him, but there was something nagging his mind through the thick fog of passion.

“Your leg. Are you comfortable?” he gasped out.

Thorin laughed breathlessly. “I should be the one asking that.” He rolled his hips, giving Kili a taste of what was to come, making Kili moan as Thorin’s cock massaged his sensitive walls. “I should be the one concerned.”

“What kind of-ah! What kind of husband would I be if I don’t pay attention to your wellbeing? Thorin, please!”

Thorin looked at him with great surprise and fondness. “Indeed,” he whispered, watching Kili writhe and whimper his name beneath him. “My dearest. _Kili_ ,” he said reverently. Then, he started to move.

It wasn’t the pounding Kili had been warned about. Thorin moved slowly, withdrawing almost all the way, then pushing back in. Every thrust brought his cock to brush against that place that he had teased earlier. The curve of his cock dragged across sensitive places Kili hadn’t known existed. Lust burnt bright and hot inside him, making him greedy for more. He groaned and pushed back against Thorin as he had done with his fingers, eager for pleasure derived from his perfect cock. Small satisfied noises were emitted from his mouth whenever Thorin slid fully back inside him. Kili hadn’t learnt everything about the world, but he was certain there was nothing better than Thorin’s hardness nestling deep inside him and his eager body opening up and enveloping Thorin as though they were meant to be one.

Still new to this act, Kili tightened sometimes when Thorin drove into him harder, his clenching hole bringing a deep moan to Thorin’s lips. Kili found that he loved the look on Thorin’s face when that happened – his eyes fluttered closed, his lips parted in moans and groans, his expression slackened by passion. He gasped when Thorin ground his hips in reaction, as if trying to get himself deeper into Kili although Kili didn’t think that was possible. Thorin’s stones were already pressed against him, the tip of his cock tightly embraced by his muscles deep inside him, and his thickness spread Kili to the limit. He had never felt so full, so complete. Nevertheless it delighted him that Thorin couldn’t seem to have enough of him, laying his ownership with his cock inside him as if Kili wasn’t already his.

Thorin smiled when Kili sighed in pleasure beneath him. He thrust into Kili leisurely, taking his time to bring Kili orgasm. Every now and then, he kissed Kili’s knees and thighs. His eyes kept drifting to Kili’s lips, but he didn’t lean down to kiss him, perhaps worried that he would make Kili uncomfortable. But, Kili would have none of it. He pulled Thorin down into a deep kiss. Now that he had learnt how to do it, he freely slipped his tongue to claim Thorin’s mouth the way he had claimed Kili’s earlier. The languid kiss made everything better, if that was even possible. This act was the ultimate union between a couple, yet kissing managed to make it even more intense and intimate. Kili was lost inside Thorin, surrounded by his warm, licked to softness by his tongue, enveloped by his musky scent and filled by his cock. So, when Thorin pulled away, Kili immediately pulled him back down, ignoring how kissing this way forced him to contort his body strangely. He loved kissing, he discovered. He loved how soft Thorin’s lips were against his, how that contrasted with his coarse beard scratching him, how wonderfully passionate it was when their tongues tangled wetly, how pleased he was when Thorin moaned into his mouth. Thorin was showing him pleasure beyond imagination and it pleased Kili to know that he showed Thorin the same. Kili smiled lazily when Thorin pulled away to pant.

“Why don’t you touch yourself?” Thorin suggested, glancing between their bodies.

Kili followed his eyes, a little surprised to find his cock angry red and leaking heavily. He barely paid attention to it, focusing only on Thorin’s cock moving in and out of him and his kisses. Sighing quietly, he slipped his hand down to curl around his cock, but first his fingers drifted down past his heavy stones. Curiously, Kili touched his stretched entrance, feeling how it widened to accommodate Thorin. How strange it was that his body could do that without any pain or discomfort, although he supposed he owed it to the oil Thorin had used and the patience he had employed to prepare Kili. Kili felt Thorin’s slick cock moving in and out of him for a moment before drawing his hand up to fondle his stones briefly. They were full and tight, sure signs that he wouldn’t last much longer. Then, he curled his fingers around his cock and stroked himself to the rhythm Thorin set. Kili smiled headily up to Thorin and received a warm look in return before his lips were claimed again in another deep kiss.

Kili wanted this to last forever, but eventually they came to their peaks. Kili’s orgasm came almost unexpectedly. He hadn’t even been pumping his cock quickly as he usually did, yet he spilled onto his stomach with a hitched breath at a thrust that sent Thorin nestling deep inside him, his hand kept stroking while Thorin stopped moving. Thick spurts of seed landed on his torso. Groaning quietly, he twisted his hand and pulled his cock until nothing more came and then he removed his hand to let his sensitive wet cock soften. Only then did Thorin resume moving. Now that he didn’t have to worry about Kili’s pleasure, he was free to chase after his own release. He frowned a little in concentration as he thrust harder into Kili, his hips smacking against Kili’s bottom, teasing Kili’s spent body with jolts of bliss which were almost too much. It was the clench of Kili’s passage as he moaned Thorin’s name in praise for giving him so much bliss that finally tipped Thorin over the edge. When he came, he came silently, the only thing giving it away was the way his body suddenly tensed. Kili thought he could feel his cock twitched inside him but he couldn’t be sure. He caressed Thorin’s chest comfortingly, letting Thorin spend himself inside him, painting his insides with the final condition to make them truly married. When Thorin finally pulled away and withdrew, Kili felt so cold and empty that he almost pulled him close again, but at least he could now stretch his body. Pleasurable as the act had been, Kili was simply not accustomed to the contortion it required. Was there perhaps any other way to make it less difficult? Kili would have to ask Thorin later.

Thorin cleaned them with a nearby rag. The fabric was rough, making Kili squirm and frown when Thorin carefully cleaned his soft cock and tender entrance. Thorin looked at him apologetically and finished as quickly as possible. To himself, he didn’t give half as much care and quickly wiped his cock clean, gritting his teeth all the while. Once finished, he put the rag aside and settled beside Kili on the narrow bed. After just a moment of hesitation, Kili snuggled up to him, putting his head on Thorin’s shoulder. Though he looked surprised, Thorin immediately welcomed him, wrapping his arms around him.

“Are you all right?” Thorin asked.

“Better than,” Kili replied cheekily.

Thorin scoffed but immediately sobered up. “Do you still want this?”

Kili thought back on this morning. He had come to the marriage market expecting a poor match with someone who needed him for his services without regard for his person. Being won by Thorin hadn’t put him at ease. Quite the opposite, in fact. Kili had believed he was to live a life of fear and pain with someone who had neither interest in him nor patience for him. He hadn’t expected an old acquaintance who was kind and gentle in action and promised Kili what was essentially his life in return of companionship. This new life wasn’t what he had had with his family nor was it what he had imagined his future would be, but was it necessarily a bad thing? Kili looked at Thorin, who watched him apprehensively. They hadn’t known each other very well yet, but a deep fondness had taken root inside Kili and he could feel it grow and, looking at Thorin, he thought he might feel the same. Grinning widely, Kili burrowed himself deeper into Thorin’s embrace and closed his eyes to sleep, feeling comfortable and content in his husband’s arms. “I can’t think of anything else I would like more.”

**Author's Note:**

> Almost half of this is smut. LoL, the things I do for my ship. For Herodotus' description of the marriage market, [click here](http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/508241?journalCode=jpe). For Edwin Long's painting that I used as reference for description of the market, [click here](http://www.ancient-origins.net/sites/default/files/field/image/market.jpg). There's some discussion out there about the accuracy of the painting and the meaning behind the painting (for example, the girl on the far right is covering her face means that she knows she has bad prospect and is devastated, etc.), but I just used it as a visual reference.
> 
> As usual, feel free to say hi to me on [my tumblr](http://demonessryu.tumblr.com/).


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